Device for oiling vehicle-axles.



PATENTED 1150.5, 1905. B. A. RHOADES. R 01mm VEHICLE AXLES.

LICATION TILED NOV. 1B, 1903 3 & v

a x ki HM .MN v hm DEVICE F0 I 7 AP? -M7111; nesses UNITED sTATEs PATENTBENJIMAN' ALLEN RHOADES, OF MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA.

DEVICE FOR OILING VEHlCLEFAXLE ZS.

1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

. Application filed. November 18, 1903- $eria1No. 181,602.

from the ordinary vehicle-axle and which is very compact in size and isso arranged and shaped that it will not easily be detected on the axleof a vehicle, as a portion of the axle is removed and the detachableoiling device placed in the position which was occupied by the removedportion and which is of substantially the same size and shape assaidportion;

A further object is to provide a longitudinal groove in the spindle ofthe axle extending beneath the sand-guard, on the axle and to a pointadjacent to the outerand lower end of the detachable oilereservoir, and,further, to provide a reservoir. which may be easily filled and refilledwithout removing the wheel from the axle, and, further, to provide asandbox which will prevent the sand from getting into thespace betweenthe spindle of the axle and the interior of the hub, and also to providea nut which will prevent the oil which is around the spindle of the axlefrom flowing outwardly, and thus prevent the exterior of the nut fromgetting greasy.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions and combination ofparts, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in perspective the oiling device inposition on the axle of the vehicle to which it is attached. The wheelis removed to show the sand-guard. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section viewof a portion of the vehicle-axle, showing the oiling device in positionthereon and also showing the sleeve which fits over the spindle oftheaxle, which is usually mounted on the interior of the hub of the wheel.Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the axle andsleeve cut on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a reservoir detachedfrom the axle. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of theoil-reservoir, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of themodified form of the oilreservoir removed from its position on thevehicle-axle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 10 to indicate an axle provided with a spindle 11 atits outer end. Forming a portion of the axle at the rear of the spindle11 and encircling it is a sand-guard 12, having the outwardly-projectingflange l3 thereon and having the groove 14. encircling the outercircumference of the flange. In the upper periphery of the spindle Ihave provided a longitudinal groove 15, which extends through and to therear of the sand-guard 12. Detachably mounted onthe upper portion'of theaxle and inside of the sand-guard is a reservoir 16, having a flat.-.lower portion which is designed to restagainst the upper surface ofthe axle, a rounded upper portion, and an opening 17 through its forwardlower end-leading into the'inner end of the longitudinal groove 15. r

The reference-numeral 18 represents the ordinary clip, which iscustomarily used on the axle of a vehicle to maintain the wooden portion19 of the axle to the metal portion 20 thereof. In attaching thereservoir 16 to the axle the clamp 18 is removed from its position onthe axle and a portion of the'wooden part of the axle is cut away toform a space between the outer end of the wooden portion and the innerend of the sand guard 12. When this portion is removed, the reservoir 16is placed in the position on the metal part 20 of the axle which wasoccupied by the wooden portion which has been removed. The clamp 18 isagain placed in position, so that a portion of. it will engage thewoodenpart 19 of the axle and a portion of the clamp will engage the innerupper surface of the oilreservoir, and inasmuch as the forward lower endof the reservoir rests against the portion 21 of the sand-guard thereservoir will be held-firmly inposition relative to the axle.

In the upper surface of the reservoir I have provided an opening 22 witha screw-threaded cap 23, mounted therein and so arranged that it can beeasily removed. This opening is to afford easy access to the interior ofthe reservoir, so that by simply removing the cap 23. the reservoir maybe easily refilled. Extending from the opening 17 in the lower outer endof the reservoir 16 and lying in the groove 15 is a wick 24, which isdesigned to convey the oil from the reservoir throughout the enbeconstantly oiled so long as the reservoir 16 contains a lubricant.

By providing a flange 13 to the sand-guard 12 a circular groove isformed between this flange and the spindle 11. This would necessitatethe providing of a flange 26 for the rear end of the sleeve 25, so as toform a circular groove 27 between the outer surface of the rear end ofthe sleeve and the inner surface of the flange 26 to admit the flange ofthe sand-guard. A washer 28 is placed at the rear of the groove which isformed by the flange 13, and the inner end of the sleeve 25 is designedto rest against said washer, and the flange 13 is designed to enter thegroove 27, and said flange will extend over a portion of the sand-guardoutside of the groove 14 in said sand-guard. Thus the dust or dirt whichis collected as the vehicle travels will be lodged in the sand-groove 14and will be prevented from getting into the other parts of the axle. Thenut 29 has the flanges 30 and 31 at its inner end designed to form thecircular groove 32 to admit the outer end of the sleeve 25.

A washer 33 is usually placed in said groove for the outer end of thesleeve 25 to rest against. By the use of this nut it is clearly obviousthat the oil will be very largely prevented from getting on the exteriorof said nut, and thus prevent clots of grease from forming on theexterior of said nut.

In the modified form of the device I have shown in Figs. 5 and 6 therear portion of the reservoir inclined and the forward portioncorrespondingly inclined, and asmall tube 34 leads from the front of thereservoir into the rear of the groove 15. This provides a reservoirwhich will be more easily maintained in position relative to the axleand if detached from the axle will leave it in good condition for usewithout the oiling device. It is to be understood in this connectionwith the use of my device that any of the ordinary sand-guards may beused and any of the ordinary nuts which are commonly in use onvehicle-axles for maintaining the wheel in position thereon may be used,the form which I have shown being simply a form of device which is morepractical in the use of it than any which I am informed about.

In practical operation and after the device has been attached to theordinary axle the wheel is never designed to be removed from the axleexcept to clean it at infrequent in tervals, the oiling of the devicebeing accomplished by simply removing the cap 23 and filling thereservoir. A very material advantage in the use of this device over theordinary method of oiling vehicles is that the reservoir will contain alarger amount of oil than can be ordinarily placed upon the ordinaryaxle and can much more easily be refilled than the axle which is incommon use can be oiled by removing the wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

A device of the class described, comprising a vehicle-axle havingalongitudinal groove in its spindle, an oil-reservoir mounted on andforming a portion of the axle and designed to engage the inner portionof the axle, aclamp for maintaining the oil-reservoir in positionrelative to the axle and for holding the wooden portion of the axle tothe iron portion thereof, a sand-guard having a hollow interior and agroove encircling it, designed to maintain in position the outer end ofthe oil-reservoir, a wick leading through the sand-guard into thereservoir, the flange which forms the sides of the opening on theinterior of the sand-guard designed to enter a groove in the boxing ofthe wheel to be placed on the axle, and a nut having a groove encirclingits innor portion designed to receive the outer end oflthe boxing in thewheel placedupon the 31X BENJIMAN ALLEi RUOADES.

Witnesses:

RAY R. EAST, G. SCHMELZ.

